The Guardian of The Prophecy
by Cornish Pixie 24
Summary: There's a part of the prophecy that no one ever heard. It speaks of a Guardian who will guide the sons of Adam and daughters of Eve and protect them from evil. But maybe the Guardian doesn't want to help them; She has lost everything because of this stupid prophecy so why should she? Will the Guardian do what she has to do? Will she even lay her life on the line for them?
1. Prologue

_A protector from the house of Dawn,_

 _From her family has she been torn,_

 _Will guard the royals who have come to fight,_

 _And the reign of good shall come to light._

There was a part of the prophecy that no one ever heard. It speaks of a Guardian who will guide the sons of Adam and daughters of Eve to victory, and will protect them from evil. But maybe the Guardian doesn't want to help them, they seem ungrateful for her help and unwilling to fight for justice. She has lost everything because of this stupid prophecy.

Will the Guardian step up and protect the Pevensies through their journey? Will she go as far as laying her life on the line for them?


	2. Chapter 1 - The Pevenises Arrive

The Guardian watched anxiously from her hiding place as she saw the young, brown haired girl bump into the kind faun Mr. Tumnus. She was sure the young daughter of Eve would be safe with the faun so she hurried away, deep in thought.

 _Did this mean that the prophecy would finally be completed?_

With this thought came a mix of emotions. Hope and happiness, as the evil witch's rein would finally be over. But also fear at the realisation that she really was the guardian of the prophecy, and she could not escape that.

Soon, soon she would need to help this child of Eve, and the young girl's life would be in her hands.

But if she failed, then all was lost.

The Guardian made her way back to where she last saw the child, anxious of the watchful eyes and all hearing ears of the trees. She scurried to the fauns house, who she had pleasant conversations with many a time, but as she came nearer a sense of dread washed over her.

She was immediately alert, her weapons at the ready, and her body coiled to flee or fight. Over time she had learnt to trust her gut, and today was no exception.

As she turned the corner she was met by a horrible sight. The door was broken off its hinges, and as she went she saw broken paintings and overturned chairs. She turned and, stuck on the door, was a piece of parchment, it read:

 _The Former occupant of these premises, the Faun Tumnus, is under arrest and awaiting his trial on the charge of High Treason against her imperial Majesty Jadis, Queen of Narnia, for comforting her enemy and fraternizing with Humans. Singed Maugrim, captain of the Secret Police, Long live the Queen._

The Guardian swore but quickly rushed back out into the snow as she heard the crunching of footsteps and the chatter of excited voices.

"I'd like you all to meet Mr. Tumnus!" Came the voice of the young girl.

"Well then Mr. Tumnus it is." Replied another unfamiliar voice.

The Guardian went back to her hiding place and watched as four children came around the corner.

 _These must be the children of the prophecy!_ She thought. But it shocked her as she took in their appearances.

The oldest looked to be about fifteen and the youngest was no older than eight or nine. How could they ever hope to save Narnia? Even with all of her training The Guardian could not make them last the week, let alone a war.

Despair filled her, Narnia was doomed...


	3. Chapter 2 - Meeting Mr Beaver

The Guardian heard the soft gasp of the youngest daughter of Eve as she saw what was left of the kind faun's home. The little girl ran forwards and The Guardian heard a shout from one of the older boys as he ran after her.

"Lucy!"

 _Better start learning names now_ , The Guardian thought bitterly. _But what's the point? They'll be dead soon enough..._

She stopped momentarily, deciding whether or not now was the best time to reveal herself to the humans. She heard a muttered argument from inside and decided that they would be safe for now, as long as she kept guard from a distance, but there was no need for them to find out what she was doing.

She heard movement from outside and she was immediately alert, with her bow drawn and pointed in the direction that she heard the sound, but she spotted the brown fur and relaxed. it was just Mr. Beaver, he would not hurt them.

"Psst." Mr. Beaver whispered to the children, he had not seen her yet, and the voices from inside went quiet.

One by one the children emerged from the ruins of Mr. Tumnus' house and looked around until Mr. Beaver revealed himself.

"I-it's a beaver..." The youngest child, Lucy, said.

The Guardian had to suppress a chuckle when the older boy held out his hand towards Mr. Beaver and began to make clicking sounds, as if he expected him to sniff his hand, and she watched bemusedly as the children eyes widened when Mr. Beaver finally spoke.

She heard more sounds in the forest and turned with her bow drawn, they needed to get somewhere safer, they could not stay here, the trees could not be trusted. When she turned back the children were talking among themselves and Mr. Beaver was going on ahead. The children had seemed to come to an agreement and had begun following Mr. Beaver when he called out to her,

"You may as well come out, Guardian." And she chuckled under her breath.

She had been friends with the Beavers for long enough, and they now seemed to know when she was sneaking around. The Guardian blew her long, white hair out of her face and hoisted her bow on her shoulder as she came out from her cover behind some trees.

The children gasped and hid behind the older boy again but The Guardian held up her hands in mock surrender, trying to show that she meant no harm. She sped up until her pace matched theirs, and she walked next to the children as she saw them giving her suspicious looks.

"Well I know your name, Lucy, but I have yet to learn the rest of your family's."

"How do you know my name?" Lucy asked.

"Well, silly, I have been looking after you since you first entered Narnia." She replied.

"Wait. You've been watching my sister this whole time?" The older boy asked and he pushed Lucy further away from the strange girl, firmly planting himself between them.

"I prefer the term 'looking after' if you don't mind. You're making me sound like a creep. And of course, it is my job after all..."

"What? It's your job to spy on little kids?" Another younger boy asked with a smirk.

The Guardian huffed and sped up her pace again, drawing nearer to Mr. Beaver.

 _Screw being a Guardian, first sign of trouble and I'll just let them die. Or if they make another comment like that, I'll kill them myself_.

The Guardian was interrupted from her thoughts by the sound of an argument behind her, and she turned to see Lucy scolding the younger boy. She gave a small smile when the little girl sped up, almost running on her small legs to catch up with her, and Lucy smiled back.

 _Well... Maybe I won't kill all of them._


	4. Chapter 3 - At The Dam

As they approached the familiar dam of the Beavers, the Guardian felt a warmth spread over her. This dam meant so much to her, and as her family had died a while back the Beavers became almost like a mother and father to her. They were welcoming and kind and the knowledge that they would die long before her pained her every time she even thought it.

 _Well I guess that's the problem of being basically immortal..._

"Oh blimey, looks like the old girl's got the kettle on!" Said Mr. Beaver happily.

"It's lovely." Lucy complimented, and the Guardian smiled.

 _Yep, this one's definitely my favourite._ She thought.

"Beaver? Is that you?" Came the voice of Mrs Beaver as she made her way outside.

"I've been worried sick! If I find you've been out with Badger again I-" But she stopped abruptly as they all came around the corner.

"Those aren't badgers!" She mumbled, awed. "Oh I never thought I'd live to see this day... And Cassandra Dawn! Where have you been! You haven't been round in ages, we were worried!"

The Guardian blushed slightly at the use of her full name and some of the Pevensies turned to her in disbelief.

"Sorry, Mrs B." Cassie mumbled and the beaver nodded, before she suddenly turned to her husband and hit his shoulder.

"Look at my fur! You couldn't have given me a ten minute warning?"

"I would have given you a week if I thought it would help!" He chuckled and Cassie and the Pevensies laughed.

Good old beavers, always made you feel at home.

"Now come inside for some food, and some... civilised company." Mrs beaver said and they gladly rushed inside with a chuckle, eager to be out of the cold.

Cassie sat down and looked around the familiar dam with a smile, remembering all the times she had spent there. As she came out of her daydream she saw Lucy staring at her curiously and she attempted a smile, which may or may not have looked more like a grimace.

She heard Peter asking about Mr Tumnus and a pang struck her heart, he was her friend too. That was the thing about a long life span, you made a lot of friends and unfortunately a lot of enemies as well.

"So are you actually going to tell us who you are? Or are you just going to sit there?" Questioned Edmund and Cassie turned to him sharply when she realised that he was addressing her.

"Ok, let me get this straight. You are perfectly fine with accepting the help of two _talking_ beavers instead of me? Now I'm pretty sure that where you come from, talking beavers aren't that common yet _I'm_ still the one you're questioning?"

"She does have a point Ed..." Lucy added and Cassie smiled.

The awkward silence was broken by Mrs Beaver as she came out with the food.

"Fish and chips." She said proudly and Cassie beamed.

"Thank Mrs B." She mumbled with her mouth already full of the delicious (well delicious in her opinion) food, ignoring the disbelieving looks she was getting from the Pevensies.

She had decided to stay out of the conversations the others were having to avoid the inevitable conflict between her and the Pevensies, who obviously didn't trust her, but when they started to talk about Aslan she couldn't help herself.

"Who's Aslan?" Edmund questioned, and Mr Beaver started to laugh, obviously thinking he was joking, before Mrs Beaver nudged him.

"You don't know, do you?" He asked.

"Well we haven't exactly been here very long." Peter protested.

"He's only the king of the whole wood." Cassie chimed in.

"The top geezer." Mr Beaver added.

"The real king of Narnia!" Cassie said, pointing one of her fish at Peter, before she went back to her food, happy with her contribution.

She looked up as she heard movement and saw Edmund going outside. She stood up, and the others were too busy talking to notice as she slipped outside after him. When Cassie got out of the dam she saw Edmund's retreating back and she was suddenly conflicted. Should she follow Edmund? See what was going on? Or should she stay and protect the remaining Pevensies in hopes that he was just clearing his head and would return soon? Her gut told her that he would not be back anytime soon, but as she heard the voices of the other Pevensies inside the dam, her mind was made up.

 _I will stay and do my duty to the remaining Pevensies, and if they request it or no longer need my assistance I will track Edmund and keep him safe._

With her decision clear and perfectly reasonable (in her opinion) she returned to the warmth of the dam when she heard Mr Beaver's deep voice resonating around their home as he began to repeat the prophecy she had heard her whole life, the prophecy that she must ensure comes true, the prophecy that her entire family had given their lives to fulfil.

 **Sorry this is a really crappy chapter, but I swear it is going to start to get exciting in the next one!**

 **~Issy**


	5. Chapter 4 - Edmund's Gone

Cassie leant near the door of the dam and listened quietly to Mr Beavers melodic voice echoing around the room.

"A protector from the house of Dawn,

From her family has she been torn,

Will guard the royals who have come to fight,

And the rein of good shall come to light.

When Adam's flesh and Adam's bone,

Sits at Cair Paravel in throne,

The evil time will be over and done."

"You know the second half doesn't really rhyme..." Grinned Susan.

 _Pfft, forever the criticiser._ Cassie thought.

"I know it doesn't rhyme! You're kind of missing the point." Mr Beaver said, irritated.

Mrs Beaver, as always, attempted to resolve the situation. "It has long been foretold that two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve, will defeat the White Witch and restore peace to Narnia."

There was an awkward moment of silence before Peter spoke.

"And you think we're the ones?" He asked incredulously. "What about Cassie over there? She looks pretty human to me!"

Cassie snorted. "Pfft, human? I am over one hundred and fifty years old, for your information."

The Pevensies gawked for a moment, but Peter took over again.

"Wait, can we go back a second. What's all this about a protector?"

"That would also be me..." Cassie raised her hand awkwardly and made her way back over to the table, where she sat down.

"You?" Susan asked in shock, "But you're so..."

"Finish that sentence, I dare you." Cassie replied slowly, and was about to stand up again if it wasn't for the hand Mrs Beaver lay on her arm and the disapproving shake of her head she gave her.

"Well you better be the ones!" Mr Beaver yelled, "Because Aslan's already fitted out your army!"

Cassie stopped hearing the words and began to see red when the Pevensies continued to make excuses.

"Thank you for your hospitality..." Susan started, standing up. "But we really have to go."

 _Ok, that was it._ Cassie thought and not even the Beavers disapproving looks could stop her after she had stood up.

"You ungrateful, spoiled little brats! I have been looking after you from the moment you stepped into Narnia, I have given everything for you! My whole family is _dead_! They died to make sure that the four of you could fulfil the prophecy and free Narnia once and for all. You are going to throw away that sacrifice! And the deaths of my _parents_ , my _brothers_ , my _sister_ , will mean _nothing_! You have the opportunity to save _thousands_ of lives, to save a whole kingdom! And you're throwing it away because you're scared?" She almost spat the last word and the Pevensies and the Beavers stood and sat in various degrees of shock.

Lucy's voice came out a whisper. "Where's Edmund?"

This brought everyone's attention back to the matter at hand and Peter span around, looking for his brother.

"I'm going to kill him!" He said.

"You may not have to... has you're brother ever been to Narnia?" Mr Beaver asked.

Cassie's eyes widened and she swore, she had failed already and the war hadn't even started yet. She drew her sword from a sheath at her side and held it firmly as she went to run out of the dam.

"Cassandra, what is it?" Asked Mrs Beaver.

"I'm an idiot. I watched him go, I thought he just wanted to get away for a while. I didn't even realise that he was going to _her_." And she sped out of the dam.

Mr Beaver hurriedly explained and the Pevensie children's eyes widened. Peter ran out after Cassie, with his sisters and the Beavers behind him. He stopped as she saw her. Cassie stood there, rigid, staring at the looming castle of the White Witch.

"EDMUND!" Lucy yelled, only to be quickly quietened by Mr Beaver.

Peter was at a loss. It was his job to keep his family safe and he had already lost Edmund. In desperation he sped forwards, intending to march right up to the castle and demand that Edmund come back with him. He was stopped abruptly by a person, who he presumed was Cassie, grabbing him around his chest.

"Get off me!" He screamed, desperate now, but her hold never slackened and try as he might he could not free himself.

"You're playing right into her hands." A girl's voice said from by his ear, definitely Cassie holding him then.

Peter quickly gave up and Cassie released him, moving over to stand nearer to Lucy.

"We can't just let him go!" Susan protested.

"He's our brother!" Yelled Lucy, and it was evident that she was seconds away from bursting into tears.

"He's the bait! The witch wants all four of ya." Mr Beaver tried to explain.

"Why?"

Cassie began to speak softly. "She wants to stop the prophecy, she wants to kill you."

The Pevensies stopped and looked at each other, the look of horror clear on their faces. Cassie was surprised as she felt Lucy cling to her and she put what she hoped was a comforting hand on her back, rubbing in small circles. Then, Susan finally lost it.

"This is all your fault." She began, rounding on Peter, and Cassie held Lucy closer to her.

"My fault?" Peter asked incredulously.

"None of this would have happened if you had listened to me in the first place!"

"Oh, so you knew this would happen?"

"I didn't know what would happen, which was why we should have left when we still could!"

As the argument continued, Cassie pulled away from Lucy, ready to break up the fight. But the youngest Pevensie beat her to it.

"Stop it!" Lucy yelled "This isn't going to help Edmund..."

"She's right..." Mr Beaver said. "Only Aslan can hep your brother now."

"Not true." Cassie finally spoke, picking up her sword from where she had dropped it when she grabbed Peter. "It is my job to keep you safe and I will die before I let the Witch take Edmund."

At this Lucy let out a small whimper and Cassie smiled. She knelt in front the younger girl and brushed a piece of hair from her face.

"I don't want you to die." She whispered and Cassie smiled again.

"Oh Lucy, you don't even know me."

"I know enough. I know that you're brave and strong and not afraid to do what's right and I don't want you to go."

"Lucy, my little lioness, you are just as brave as me, braver even, and I'll let you in on a little secret... I am _really_ scared. But that doesn't mean that I'm not prepared to do all that I can to keep your family safe. Now, I have to go, but I swear to you that I will come back alive and with your brother, but you need to promise me something too, ok?" She nodded. "I know that you have the heart of a lioness, but your brother and sister are having a bit of trouble. I need you to make sure that they choose to do the right thing, and I need you to look after them until I come back. Can you do that?" She nodded again and Cassie stood up and turned to look at Peter.

"I'll get him back, Peter. I'll get him back even if it kills me."

Peter gave her a curt nod and Cassie turned to Susan and attempted to give her a small smile. She had plenty of arrows. Her sword was sharp. She was ready. So Cassie turned and ran off in the direction of the White Witch's castle, a fire burning in her heart and determination burning in her eyes.


	6. Chapter 5 - Attack On The Dam

Cassie grumbled to herself as she trudged through the thick snow that stuck to the ground like glue, covering it in a thick blanket. Of course, she was used to the harsh weather by now as the cold winter had been this way since she was merely a child of forty nine years old and the hundred years definitely felt like a particularly long time. She was older now, wiser, though in the eyes of her people she was still a child. She definitely didn't look like much, but her icy blue eyes and her almost white hair did help her blend into her current conditions and gave her an air of intimidation. Unfortunately, the slow aging rate of her people meant that she even looked younger than the oldest Pevensie boy (A fact that intensley annoyed her), but if you gazed into her eyes you could almost see the pain of over a hundred years of life and the wisdom of a person much older than the years her body made her appear to be.

Cassie kept alert as she pushed her way through the snow with her bow held at the ready and her sword strapped to her thigh, but she couldn't help but be angry at herself.

"Stupid, stupid. You're an idiot, Cassie." She moaned to herself as she walked. "If you can't protect the humans for _one day_ , how can you be expected to keep them safe through a _war_?"

Admittedly, the Pevensie's future looked pretty bleak and Cassie was getting increasingly frustrated with herself as she neared the castle of the White Witch. If this boy died then his blood was on her hands and three quarters of the children of the prophecy simply wasn't good enough.

"You could have stopped him! Could have saved yourself all this trouble of traipsing half way across Narnia in the freezing cold but _no_! Been training your whole life for this and what do you go and do? Oh yeah, you go and lose one of the kids within the first twenty four hours! Pfft, what would mum and dad have said?"

She froze at that. She hadn't meant to say but it just slipped out and with it came an onslaught of guilt and an overwhelming sadness. Dead. Her whole family was dead. They had died to protect these children and to rid Narnia of the She-Devil that called herself the _Queen of Narnia_. Ha, not if she could help it and if these children didn't fulfil the prophecy then the deaths of her family would have been for nothing and that was not something Cassie would allow.

Full with a newly burning fire of determination, Cassie began to continue her journey towards the castle but for the second time that day she froze in her tracks for she had heard a bone chilling sound. The howl of a wolf echoed throughout Narnia, followed by answering calls from many others and Cassie was pretty sure she could make an acurate guess of where they were coming from and she had an even better guess of where they were going.

She was stuck in position as indecicion flowed through her and she took a deep breath as she closed her eyes, running through the options in her head. A moment later the barks of wolves were becoming increasingly closer and her mind was made up. The White Witch would not kill Edmund. No, she was smarter than that, she needed him to get the rest of the humans so Cassie's first priority was to get back to the dam and protect the remaining Pevensies to avoid letting the Witch get the full set.

Cassie's legs began to pump and her sword banged against her leg as she sprinted back in the direction of the Beavers dam. As she ran she heard the panting and snapping of wolves coming closer and out of the corner of her eye she could see a flash of fur sprinting the same way she was. A low growl built up in the guardian's throat and she lifted her bow, before releasing an arrow which cut through the air with a whistling sound that was followed by a yelp of pain. She reached a clearing close to the dam and skidded to a stop as the wolves began to circle her. There were at least half a dozen of them, maybe more, and Cassie put her bow on her back and drew her sword ready for close combat. She crouched lower to the ground and her body was tensed and ready when the largest wolf stepped forwards.

" _Maugrim_." She spat, another growl building up in her throat.

" _Guardian_." He replyed in an icy tone. "How nice to see you again, these children must be the ones from the prophecy if even you have crawled out of the woodworks."

The large wolf stalked forward and Cassie began to circle him, making sure he didn't get behind her, but it was almost impossible to keep an eye on the rest of the wolves at the safe time. The remaining wolves snapped at her from around the circle they had made to trap her and the tension in the circle hung heavily in the air.

"Though I must say, I think you need to get better at your job. Afterall, we've already got one of the little brats and soon we'll have the whole little family."

Cassie growled again. "Over my dead body."

"That can be arranged." And the wolf smirked, his muzzle forming into a sadistic smile that showed his rows of sharp, white teeth and he turned to his wolves.

"Take them."

Cassie growled and leaped into action, her sword slicing through the air. She rushed towards the Beavers' house and went straight for the wolves that had began to rip the dam, her second home, apart. She ignored the pain of watching the place she had spent so many years in being destroyed and tried to ignore the happy memories that bubbled to the surface of her mind as she swung and stabbed with her sword. Wolves yelped and fell as they met Cassie's blade but they continued to get up and Cassie had made a grave mistake. She realised this as she felt strong jaws clamp down on her left shoulder and she screamed at herself for being idiotic enough to take her eyes away from Maugrim for long enough to allow him to get behind her. She felt warm blood pumping from the wound on her shoulder and she ignored the pain as she used the butt of her sword to hit the large wolf repeadtedly on the head until he finally let go. Cassie gasped when he did as the pressure on her shoulder disappeared and the blood began to pump more steadily but she pushed through the black spots that clouded her vision and she headed to the dam, where some of the wolves had mannaged to make a hole big enough to push through. She dragged herself through it with her hand pressed to her shoulder in an attempt to slow down the blood flow but as she got through the gap in the wall she removed her hand to find it stained red, leaving her shoulder to throb with white hot pain. Fearfully, Cassie looked around the dam quickly, expecting to see the bodies of the children she had protected lying on the ground. Suprisingly, the only sight she was met with was the faces of serveral confused looking wolves and an otherwise empty room.

"Clever Pevensies." She mumbled as her face broke into a smile.

Obviously, she knew exactly where the Pevensies had escaped to as (unbeknownst to Mrs Beaver) Mr Beaver had regularly taken her to see Badger through the tunnel that supposedly led to Mr Beaver's mother's house. However, the eyes of the remaining wolves snapped to Cassie and the room again was filled with growls as they proceeded to stalk towards her, but Cassie had a plan. She had to act fast as her loss of blood was definitely beginning to make her feel woozy but she pushed it aside and thanked Aslan that Maugrim had bitten her left shoulder not her right as she could still comfortably lift her sword. She held it out in front of her, pointed directly at the nearest wolf and she span in a circle, forcing the wolves backwards. Cassie knew they wouldn't stay away from her for long and the likelihood was that they were merely waiting for her to drop from lack of blood but when she was satisfied that she had bought the Pevensies and the Beavers enough time she dived to the hidden door that led to the tunnel and began to rush down it, the sounds of wolves snarling and barking echoing in the distance.

 **Good news! I have finally finished this year of school so I now have my summer holdiays and you know what that means?**

 ***Cricket sound***

 **Yep, that means loads more updates and my aim for the summer is to finish at least one fanfiction, so we will see how that goes!**

 **~Issy**


	7. Chapter 6 - Escaping The Wolves

Mr Beaver looked mournfully into the eyes of his best friend, eyes that were frozen in fear, just like the rest of Badger's body. He ran his hand down his friend's face, trying not to believe that he was really gone. Oh he had _hated_ the witch before, but now... now it was personal and his rage only fuelled his passion to destroy the White Witch and everything she stood for.

The Pevensies stood in a state of shock, staring at the mismatched jumble of stone animals in confusion. The mood was soon broken though and the Pevensies reeled back in horror as the barrel they had used to block the tunnel began to shake. This was it, the wolves were coming. Peter hurriedly pushed his sisters behind him in an attempt to protect them and they scrambled backwards quickly, trying to get as far away from the opening as possible. They stared fearfully at the barrel, which shook harder until it was finally pushed away in one fluid movement. The Pevensies and the Beavers seemed to simultaneously suck in a breath but what emerged from the hole was definitely not what they had expected...

"Still alive I see, Pevensies?" A very bedraggled looking guardian asked from the opening of the tunnel.

Peter let out a sigh of relief but he wasn't sure whether it was because it wasn't the wolves or if it was because Cassie was safe.

"Peter! Over here, I need you to help me get this barrel back into place!" Cassie called but Peter was still in awe of the stone animals that were littered around them.

Cassie noticed that the eldest Pevensie wasn't going to be helping her any time soon and she grumbled before awkwardly shifting the barrel with her foot as her right hand was clutched onto her still bleeding shoulder. She soon noticed the uncanny silence and turned around fearfully, only to be met with a terrible sight. Badger, her friend, almost like an uncle, was gone. She sucked in a sharp breath at the pain in her chest as she stumbled forwards, numb. How many more people would the White Witch take from her? She saw Mr Beaver also staring at Badger and she cleared her throat, attempting to get rid of the uncomfortable lump that had formed there.

"Beaver, I'm sorry."

Mr Beaver turned to her, his face full of emotion.

"Yeah, me too..."

Peter's voice soon broke the silence, "What happened here?"

"This is what becomes of those who cross the witch." Came a new voice and Cassie drew her sword, noticing the increasing black spots in her vision and the woozy feeling in her head.

Mr Beaver turned to the fox angrily, "You take one more step, traitor, and I'll chew you to splinters."

Suddenly, Cassie's breathing became a lot more difficult and as her adrenaline ran out, the consequences of her stupidity in the fight came back to her tenfold. She tried to concentrate on the intruder but she knew she couldn't it keep up for much longer.

The fox laughed, "Relax, I'm one of the good guys."

"Well you look an awful lot like one of the bad guys..." Mr Beaver replied venomously, but Cassie barely heard him as she fell to her knees.

Cassie felt the eyes of the fox on her as she fell and she heard Lucy's voice call out her name as the wounded guardian managed to shift herself so her back was resting on a rock. She felt a presence beside her and looked up to see the concerned eyes of Peter Pevensie.

"You're injured." He panicked.

"Oh really? I didn't notice." Cassie replied, but she groaned when Peter took her hand off of her wound for a better look.

He replaced it quickly, "You need to keep pressure on it."

"I _know_ , Peter." She groaned and tried to get up, but Peter carefully pushed back down again.

"You're losing blood, you need to stay still." Peter said in his best 'big brother' voice.

"Peter, we don't have time, the wolves could be here any second, besides... it doesn't even hurt that much." Cassie said through gritted teeth.

Peter shot her a look that confirmed that he didn't believe her in the slightest but then his eyes softened and he spoke to her in an almost whisper, "It's ok to show weakness, you know."

Cassie laughed, "When I'm looking after you humans, there's no time for weakness."

She forced herself up, ignoring Peter's protests. She was well aware of their situation and her injury was going to get them killed if she wasn't careful.

Once she had stood up she turned to Peter, "I'm not one of your little sisters, so stop treating me like one. For your information, I am over nine times your age."

Cassie shot him a weak smile as he gaped at her and the fox shot her a look of what may have even been concern before he spoke again.

"We can argue breeding later, right now we've gotta move." He said forcefully.

Cassie couldn't agree more, especially as she heard the sound of the wolves coming closer. Peter approached her again and they awkwardly moved until Cassie's left arm was slung over his shoulder (at which she had to force down a gasp of pain) so she still had her right arm free to put pressure on her wound and Peter was able to help her walk.

He turned to the fox and spoke to him in a panicked voice (though he was still trying to sound brave), "What did you have in mind?"


	8. Chapter 7 - Screw The Prophecy

It had quite literally taken blood, sweat and tears to get Cassie up the blasted tree and the concerned looks everyone was continuously shooting in her general direction were really starting to get on her nerves. Her lip was probably bleeding by now as she had been repeatedly biting down on it in an attempt not to make any more sound other than the occasional grunt or gasp as she struggled upwards, but finally she had made it and she had to force back the tears of joy that threatened to spill over her cheeks. She had no clue how to get down (other than falling, but for some reason that didn't really seem appeal to her...) but she could worry about that later.

Cassie watched as the fox subtly brushed his tail on the ground, covering the Pevensies tracks. Her teeth were set on edge as the wolves surrounded him and he began to talk in what sounded like a confident voice, but Cassie could hear the shaking and the fear behind his facade.

"Greetings gents, lost something have we?" The fox asked cockily and Cassie smirked.

"Don't patronise me!" Maugrim growled, circling him.

"I know where your allegiance lies..." The wolf continued. "We're looking for some humans."

The fox forced a shaky laugh, "Humans? Here in Narnia? Well that's some valuable information, don't you think?"

Cockiness could only get you see far and a low growl built up in Cassie throat as one of the wolves grabbed the fox in his teeth. She began to draw one of her small daggers when the fox let out a whimper, but she was stopped by Peter putting his hand on hers and shaking his head.

"Your reward is your life." Maugrim snarled. "It's not much... but still. Where are the fugitives?"

The occupants of the tree all waited with baited breath, wondering if their supposed ally would stick to the plan.

"North..." The fox panted. "They ran north."

"Smell them out." Maugrim snapped and the fox was thrown to the ground with a whimper.

Everyone sighed out a breath of relief when the wolves ran north and Cassie's new mission was to navigate her way out of the tree without inuring herself again...

Considerably later, Cassie was successfully on the ground and was sat with the Beavers, the Pevensies, and the fox around a deliciously warm fire.

Her wound was bleeding considerably less and it wasn't _extremely_ deep but after careful examination, Cassie decided that it would need stitches. Lucky for her she wasn't an amateur and she retrieved a needle and thread from a pouch on her belt. She could feel half a dozen eyes on her as she passed the needle over the fire, sterilising it.

"Are you sure you don't want me to do that, dear?" Mrs Beaver asked, concerned.

"Oh, it's fine Mrs B. I would prefer to do it myself." Cassie replied.

Peter gaped at her, "You're going to sew _yourself_ up?" He asked. "Are you sure you that's safe? Don't you need any help?"

"Look, no offense but it would probably be more dangerous for me if _you_ did it." Cassie pointed out while she threaded her needle.

Peter was still looking at her in surprise and he looked a bit queasy.

"You can look away if you feel faint, _Princess_." Cassie mocked before she plunged the needle into her skin.

The only sounds that came from Cassie over the next half an hour were a few hisses and then she was done and she began to wrap a bandage around her shoulder. She smiled in triumph and lay down with her hands behind her head as Mrs Beaver began to sew up the bite wound the wolves had given the fox, who definitely made a _lot_ more sound.

"Thank you for your kindness." The fox said when Mrs Beaver was done. "But I'm afraid that's all the cure I have time for."

Cassie sat up as the fox said his farewells.

"It has been an honour to meet you, Guardian, your reputation doesn't do you justice." The fox said to her with a bow and Cassie nodded to him, showing her approval.

"It has been a pleasure and an honour, my queen." He continued as her turned to Lucy. "But my time is short and Aslan himself has asked me to gather more troops."

Mrs Beaver gasped in surprise and Mr Beaver said with awe, "You've seen Aslan?"

Cassie had seen him many times before, both when he had come to her in dreams and when he had been there in the flesh.

"What's he like?" Mrs Beaver asked.

"Like everything we've heard and more." The fox replied and Cassie couldn't agree more. "You'll be glad to have him by your side in the battle against the witch."

The moment had to be spoiled though when Susan opened her mouth, "But we're not planning on fighting any witch."

This statement alone filled Cassie with anger; she had hoped that seeing the witch's brutality up close would convince the Pevensies to do what was right, but apparently not.

The fox seemed shocked as well, "But surely King Peter, the prophecy."

"We can't go to war without ya." Mr Beaver added.

Peter stared into the fire for a second before replying, "We just want our brother back."

Mr Beaver looked over to Cassie, obviously expecting her to say something to the Penevsies to help convince them but she was done. She had had enough. Cassie slung her bow on her back and struggled to her feet.

"You know what, fine."

"Cassie where are you-" Lucy started but she was cut off.

"No, Lucy. I will not waste another second of my life on this stupid prophecy. You want to know how old I am? One hundred and forty nine years old! And every moment of my life has been dedicated to fulfilling this prophecy. For decades I have been alone in this world and time after time I thought about how much easier it would be if it all just stopped." Cassie paused to take a breath and Peter opened his mouth, but Cassie wasn't done.

"But no, I didn't do anything stupid, I stayed in this godforsaken world because I had one hope, one dream. You know what it was? It was you. It was that two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve would come to Narnia and I would help them. We would fulfil the prophecy and rid Narnia of the evil that has descended upon it. Finally there would be justice and the White Witch would pay, pay for what she has done to me, for what she did to my family, for what she has done to Narnia. But now I realise, that day is never going to come and that dream will never come true." Cassie turned and began to disappear into the forest.

"Wait!" Lucy called, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to get Edmund and if I'm lucky then I'll die trying. Then you can leave Narnia, _forever_." The retreating Guardian called back but Lucy was having none of it.

The youngest Pevensie jumped up and managed to avoid Peter's grasp as she sped off in the direction of Cassie. Peter and Susan stood up as well but were stopped by Mrs Beaver.

"No, let Lucy do this. Let her make things right."


	9. Chapter 8 - Heart To Heart

Lucy Pevensie's little legs sped forwards as she forced herself through the thick snow. Her breaths came in short gasps and in the cold weather you could see it coming out in clouds of white.

She opened her mouth and called out, "Cassie! Cassie, wait!"

The guardian in question heard the cries of the young girl from her position up ahead and gave a sigh before stopping to let Lucy catch up with her. When she finally did she puffed for a few seconds before looking up at the older girl with wide eyes, her cheeks flushed.

"Are you... are you leaving?" She asked shakily.

"Yes."

"But you can't!" Lucy gasped, "The prophecy and-"

Cassie knelt down in the cold snow and looked up at Lucy with sad eyes before speaking calming, "Lucy, your brother and sister will never agree to fight in this war, there is no need for me to waste my time there."

"But I want to fight! I do!"

"I know, little lioness." Cassie said as she stood up again. "I'm sorry, Lucy, but you should go back. Your siblings will be worried."

To her credit, Lucy stayed determined. "I'll go back, but only if you come too."

Cassie smirked at her courage and ruffled her hair affectionately, "Lucy, it'll be fine. Peter is going to get you home."

"But what if he can't?"

The guardian sighed again, "Look, I'm not abandoning you. I swear I'll be around until you get out of Narnia, but I can't stay with you."

"Why?" Lucy asked, and truth be told Cassie didn't have a reasonable answer for that and she could hardy tell Lucy that she couldn't bare to look at the Pevensies with the knowledge that the fate of Narnia was in their hands, yet they chose to do nothing.

Cassie opted instead for more words of encouragement and she gently used her finger to lift Lucy's face up to look at her, "Lucy, I will _always_ be with you, even if you can't see me."

The young girl's eyes glistened with tears as she looked back at her, "Promise?"

"Promise." Cassie smiled, "But you need to go back now, can you remember the way?"

Lucy pursed her lips, looking as though she was going to argue again, but she thought better of it and nodded. The young girl turned, attempting to force her tears back, and took a step in the direction she had came from. She took a deep breath in and then Cassie was shocked as Lucy quickly turned around and threw herself at the older girl, nearly knocking her backwards. Cassie froze for a second, unsure of what to do as she felt Lucy's tears on her clothes, she hesitated a second longer before she wrapped one of her arms around her, the other arm resting on her head slowly stroking her hair.

Sometime later, Lucy pulled away and looked back into Cassie's eyes before choking out, "Bye, Cassie."

"Not goodbye, Lucy, more of a... see you soon." Cassie smiled down at her and the little girl nodded before she began to make her way back towards her siblings.

She had got about half way before Cassie (against her better judgement) called out to her again, "Tell Peter... Tell him that I know he will do what's right and if he changes his mind I will be there and I will get him through this war because... because I believe in him."

Lucy turned around and Cassie could just see the nod the younger girl sent her, before the youngest Pevensie turned her back on the guardian and disappeared through the snow.


	10. Chapter 9 - An Important Intervention

Cassie continued to walk through the dense forest for a while, until she deemed herself far enough away from the Pevensies and the stress that they put upon her. With a large sigh she found a snow covered tree which she came to a stop at. Gently, she laid her hand against it and smiled as she felt the comforting presence of a friendly dryad. Contented that she was welcome there the guardian slid down the tree, landing in the cold, wet snow. Almost immediately, Cassie felt it soak through her clothes, but in her current state she couldn't bring herself to care.

If anyone had bothered to ask Cassie how long she stayed like that, her head resting against the tree with her eyes closed, she wouldn't be able to tell you, but in that moment she was happy to stay there for a very long time as the dryad from the tree whispered sweet nothings to her in an attempt to calm the poor girl. At some point, Cassie began to think (which was never the best idea) and for reasons unknown to her, four familiar faces were the only things that were currently stuck in her mind.

The first face was a young girl, smiling and cheerful: Lucy. Cassie had quickly connected to Lucy and from the beginning she could tell that she would one day be a great queen. The youngest Pevensie's heart was true and Cassie knew that Lucy would always find a way to bring out the best in people.

The second was another girl, calm and logical: Susan. Admittedly, Cassie hadn't gotten the best impression from Susan, but her obvious want to leave Narnia and ignore the prophecy didn't put them on good terms. Of course, Cassie knew that Susan only wanted to protect and do what's best for her family, something that the guardian could appreciate, and she regretted not attempting to be kinder to the girl.

The third was a boy this time, irritating and sassy: Edmund. Even his face made Cassie feel guilty, it was her fault for letting him wander off after all, but somehow Cassie couldn't hate Edmund Pevensie, even though he was with the White Witch. He was only a child, someone who didn't know better, how could you blame him if he never even knew what the witch was capable of? Sure, the only time that he and Cassie spoke was when he was insulting her, but that didn't mean that he couldn't learn from his mistakes and come out a better person.

She had mixed feelings about the final face, a boy, brave and determined: Peter. Anger swelled up in Cassie, but Peter was someone she couldn't help but admire. A young boy, filled with his own troubles, who chose to look after his three siblings and even put them before himself. At times, it was obvious that he cared about Cassie and she knew that if the pressure of ensuring his siblings safety did not weigh heavily on his mind, he would stay and help Narnia. Despite his protests though, the guardian knew that the oldest Pevensie would chose to do what was right, and one day would be worthy of the crown. Soon she may even call him 'King', but not before he proved himself to her and to Narnia.

Cassie was startled out of her thoughts at the sound of snow crunching and immediately she was up and ready for a fight, but when she saw who it was a large grin appeared on her tired face. With only a second of hesitation, she rushed forwards and crushed the figure in a long embrace, his thick fur surrounding her like a warm blanket. A few moments later, Cassie stepped back and smiled at the large, majestic creature that stood before her. Somehow, he seemed even more radiant than the last time she had seen him and his golden mane seemed to brighten the dark forest. Behind her, Cassie could hear her dryad chattering excitedly, repeating a single word, a single name, in awe.

 _Aslan_.

Cassie quickly remembered herself and fell to one knee, bowing her head to the lion in respect.

"Rise, my child." Came the soothing voice of Aslan and as Cassie raised her eyes to meet his, an overwhelming feeling of guilt hit her as she saw the thinly veiled disappointment in his face.

"Aslan, I-" She began but her excuses died in her throat.

"Cassandra, I do not think I need to remind you of the prophecy, do I?"

"No."

"And I don't need to explain to you how importat the Pevensie children are?"

"No, but they will never fight in this war Aslan! Narnia is lost." Cassie said, tears threatening to spill over her cheeks.

"Now that is not the guardian I know." Aslan began. "That is not the girl who has trained her whole life for this moment. When did you give up hope?"

"I haven't given up, Aslan! But there must be another way, please... I need you to tell me what to do, the prophecy _must_ be wrong!"

"Cassandra, the prophecy is never wrong. Now, look my in the eyes and tell me that there is no hope that Peter Pevensie will come through for Narnia."

"I can't do that." Cassie said, getting increasingly frustrated at the lion's refusal to answer her question.

"Why not?"

"Because my gut tells me that Peter Pevensie will pull through for Narnia, but at this current moment in time I am inclined to doubt that."

Aslan laughed, "Now Cassandra, tell me a time when your gut has ever been wrong."

Admittedly, Cassie could not, but that didn't stop her. "Aslan! Even if Peter does do what's right, I can't do this! I cannot protect these children through this war, and I don't want any more blood on my hands."

"Cassandra," Aslan said soothingly. "What happened to your family was not your fault, and neither is what happened to Edmund. The prophecy says the Pevensies will save Narnia, but it also says that they cannot do this on their own. You have been chosen for a reason, and if Narnia is to be saved then you are just as important as the sons of Adam and daughters of Eve. I must leave, for there are many things to be done, but I know you will do what is right, just as you know that Peter will do what is right."

"Aslan, please! I need to know what to do!"

"My child, you already know." Aslan said and he began to step towards her until his hot breath tickled her ear, he whispered something to her and Cassie froze.

Contented, Aslan turned and disappeared into the forest, leaving Cassie alone again with his last words to her echoing in her head.

 _"Do not doubt the Pevensies, child, and_ _ **never**_ _doubt yourself."_

She blinked owlishly, before her brain went into overdrive. Aslan may not have told her what she had to do but he was right, she already knew. These were just children but they were important. They _would_ free Narnia, but not alone. They will do what is right, but not before they are helped to understand what that is. They needed her, just as Narnia needed them.

Cassie patted herself down, checking that everything was in order. She would have to track the Pevensies, but it definitely wouldn't be hard and Cassie made a quick mental note to teach the children how to hide their tracks. She thanked the kind dryad before readying herself to leave.

"These Pevensies will be the death of me." She sighed, and then the guardian began to run.


	11. Chapter 10 - Ice Cold

Cassie walked swiftly through the snow, her eyes focussed on the many tracks on the ground. She smiled as she saw the smaller tracks of the beavers, and followed the tracks that were obviously the Pevensies. At one point, Cassie stopped and smiled warmly as she saw the tracks of Lucy Pevensie disappear and the tracks of Peter Pevensie get deeper.

 _He carried her when she got tired._ Cassie deducted with fondness.

Unfortunately, knowing the Guardian's luck, things never stayed that simple and Cassie froze with horror as she spotted a new set of tracks. Sleigh tracks. Cassie sprung into action and began to run; worried that she was already too late. She saw all the other tracks became deeper and recognised that the Pevensies had begun to run. Grief began to swirl around her; the White Witch could already have killed them by now. She continued to run, but then she heard the chilling sound of the bells coming nearer. She could see the White Witch's sleigh coming towards her, the opposite way that the Pevensies were running, and that could only mean that she was too late. She cursed herself loudly, she had let her pride kill the Pevensies and then she had been stupid enough to run into the middle of nowhere, with no cover and nowhere to run. She refused to retreat, it wasn't in her nature and she stopped and squared her shoulders at the incoming sleigh. Cassie reached behind her for her bow, but swore when she attempted to pull it back. She may be able to fight with a sword, but there was no way her injured shoulder would allow her to use two hands to operate a bow. Reluctantly, she drew her sword, she was ready.

The sleigh came closer and closer, and Cassie drew in a deep breath. She resisted the urge to run or throw up and waited, tingling with anticipation. The sleigh would soon be upon her, and even though she knew it was just about the stupidest thing she had done all day, she closed her eyes. Her heart sunk with the realisation that she could not win this fight, she desperately wanted revenge on the witch, but she knew if she was alone she would lose. The Guardian was strong, not invincible, but she sure as hell would go out fighting.

However, the fight never came and in confusion Cassie opened her eyes. What she saw was definitely not what she had expected, because who in their right mind would expect a rather large man with a white beard? A grin split Cassie's face and Father Christmas stepped down from his sleigh.

"Ah, my beautiful Guardian, it's been while." He boomed, with a large grin on his face.

"A hundred years since I last checked, sir." Cassie replied.

"Oh, no need to call me sir, Cassandra. I have the feeling that at the moment you are more famous than I am." Said Santa, and Cassie beamed.

However, she quickly regained her cool and got back on task, "Have you seen the sons of Adam and daughters of Eve? I seem to have misplaced them."

"Do not fret, my dear, I have seen them on their way and given them some well deserved presents." Cassie smiled.

"Well then I'm afraid I must be on my way, I need to make sure I catch up." Cassie said with a respectful nod towards the old man, before she began to head towards the way Father Christmas had come.

However she was stopped by a shout, "Now, dear Guardian, surely you don't want to leave without first receiving your gift?"

Cassie stopped and turned around.

"Gift, sir?" She asked, confused.

Father Christmas frowned again at the use of 'Sir' and beckoned Cassie over.

"Of course, my dear. After all, who deserves a gift more than you?" He said, before he gently grabbed her hand and placed a folded piece of paper in it before smiling.

Cassie looked at the piece of paper in confusion but before she had time to open it, Father Christmas had gotten back on his sleigh and gave her a jaunty wave before he set off again. "Good luck, Cassandra!"

She raised her hand to him as he sped off and as soon as she could no longer see him she lowered it and picked up the piece of paper curiously. It was with great difficulty that she unfolded the paper, as her hands were nearly frozen, but as soon as she had managed to open it a small gasp escaped her cold lips and tears quickly stung the back of her eyes.

It was a picture, beautifullly drawn and painted. She ran her fingers over the familiar faces fondly and for a moment, the world seemed to disappear around her. Cassie smiled, ignoring the tears that began to drip down her face, as she stared at the picture that contained some of the most important people in her life. If she stared at it for long enough she could almost imagine the faces in the picture, the faces of her family, smiling back.

The moment quickly vanished as another blood chilling sound split the air and Cassie's numb fingers almost dropped the precious picture with shock and horror. The all too familiar sounds of howling echoed around the Guardian and she hurriedly re-folded the picture and carefully put it in the pouch on her belt that contained her other supplies before she took off at a run. Following the Pevensies tracks desperately, her years of experience allowed her to move over the thick snow almost effortlessly as she rushed to the aid of the children of the prophecy. Desperation filled her as she continued to run, any second could be the Pevensies last and the Guardian vowed to never be as stupid as to leave them unprotected again.

Soon (but not soon enough in Cassie's opinion) she reached the edge of the great frozen river and dread filled her as she saw the wolves surrounding the Pevensies. Cassie began to see red as she noticed Mr Beaver pinned to the ice, but she felt proud as she saw Peter protecting his family with his new sword, courtesy of Father Christmas. Even from so far away she could see the slight quiver in Peter's arms as he held the sword awkwardly out in front of him and the Guardian swore when she realised that there was no way to get to the bit of ice where they were fighting. In between her and the Pevensies laid freezing cold water and Maugrim and his wolves, but since Peter was staring at the wolves in front of him, if he looked past them then he would be able to see Cassie. She knew she couldn't use a bow but through the icy wind, Cassie could hear the lies Maugrim was telling.

"This isn't your war." Maugrim growled, advancing on Peter. "All my Queen wants is for you to take your family and go."

"He's lying!" Cassie screamed desperately from across the ice, and Lucy's eyes widened when she saw her.

"Cassie!" She yelled and Maugrim turned and snapped at the Guardian angrily.

"Look!" Susan yelled, pointedly ignoring Cassie. "Just because some man in a red coat hands you a sword, it doesn't make you a hero! Just drop it!"

Cassie drew a great breath into her lungs and screamed across the ice. "You don't need a sword to make you a hero, Peter! You are a hero! I believe in you, _Narnia_ believes in you!"

Mr Beaver screamed at Peter, "Cassie's right, Peter! Narnia need ya, just gut him while you still have a chance."

"What's it gonna be, son of Adam? I won't wait forever, and neither will the river." Maugrim asked menacingly, and Cassie almost screamed in frustration at her inability to help when the river began to break.

"Peter!" Lucy screamed, and Peter looked back fearfully at the cracking ice.

"Hold on to me!" He yelled, and then Peter stared at Cassie, giving her a single nod before he plunged his sword into the ice.

The result was almost instantaneous, as a large crack formed up the river before it exploded with the pressure of the water. Wolves yelped and Cassie heard the Pevensies scream as a large wave pushed them down the river. Yet again, the Guardian swore and sheathed her sword before taking a few steps back. Then, with only a moment of hesitation, Cassie ran forwards and threw herself into the not so frozen river. Immediately, she was chilled to the bone and the icy cold water shocked her to her core, forcing the air out of her lungs as she was swept away by the current. It was then Cassie realised she had made a rather large mistake...


	12. Chapter 11 - A Bad Plan

The water that swept the Pevensies down the river was definitely more than a few degrees lower than freezing and for a second the Guardian just floated there. The water was dark and menacing and Cassie could barely see her hand in front of her face through the murky water. The cold shocked her to her very core and the current was strong as it pushed her backwards and forwards through the river, but it only took a few more seconds before adrenaline kicked in and Cassie leapt (or swam) to life. The Guardian's first issue was obviously her worrying lack of air and so Cassie used all of her strength in an attempt to kick towards the surface, against the strong current. Black spots danced in front of her vision as she struggled for air but she continued to thrash in the water in a desperate attempt to break the surface. Cassie's mouth opened in a silent scream as she felt the stitches she had done only recently tear and break in her shoulder and the murky water began to turn red. The next few seconds seemed like a life time and Cassie's lungs burned with a need for air before her head finally exploded from the water with a large splash and Cassie gasped as she took in great lungfuls of air. The current was merciless as it swept her down the river and she desperately scanned the riverside for signs of the Pevensies or the Beavers.

It was a desperate race against time as Cassie fought against the current, and several times her head sank below the water again before the Guardian forced herself upwards. She was rapidly running out of strength and it was getting increasingly difficult to swim forwards as she relied mostly on her legs due to the pulled stitches in her left shoulder, but apparently today things leant in her favour and Cassie's eyes lit up as she spotted some familiar brown fur on the riverside. Quickly, the Guardian veered to the right as she frantically pushed herself to the nearing bank. It was safe to say that Cassie had never been happier to see the Pevensies in her life as she used the last of her strength to pull herself up onto dry land.

Cassie let out a large breath and collapsed at the feet of the awestruck Pevensies and she heard a few gasps. Admittedly, she'd looked better in the past and her current bedraggled appearance of wet hair and soaked clothes that stuck to her body did make her quite gasp worthy in her opinion. Cassie closed her eyes, grateful for the silence as the Pevensies stared at her, but it became very awkward very quickly.

"The things I do for you ungrateful humans." Cassie managed to gasp out in an attempt to break the silence.

The Pevensies seemed to unfreeze and Cassie opened her eyes as she felt a presence kneel down next to her.

"Cassie!" Lucy gasped, "You came back, and you're- bleeding?"

Cassie turned her head and gritted her teeth at the sight of her bloody shoulder, "Looks like it."

Lucy reached into a pouch around her middle and brought out a strange looking vile. Cassie was immediately suspicious and as the young girl moved the vile closer to her lips and the Guardian (as gently as possible) grabbed Lucy's wrist.

"What is it?" She questioned.

"It's supposed to heal people," Lucy answered. "Santa gave it to me."

The Guardian hesitated a moment longer before she nodded and released Lucy's wrist and a single drop of the strange liquid landed on Cassie's dry and cracked lips. It had an odd taste; sweet yet warm, and it filled Cassie with a familiar feeling of calmness and serenity. After a few seconds, Cassie turned her head again and smiled at the sight of her now uninjured shoulder.

She sat up and rolled it experimentally before smirking, "Nifty."

However the Guardian had barely struggled to her feet before see was being verbally assaulted by Susan Pevensie.

"I suppose you had a plan that followed throwing yourself into the river, or did you just get an urge?" The older Pevensie asked sharply, but as Cassie looked into the other girl's eyes she bit back her snarky response when she saw the thinly veiled concern that lay there.

"Well theoretically, the plan was to catch up with you idiots to make sure no one fell off, but apparently my plan wasn't as fool proof as I expected."

Susan scoffed but before she could reply, Mrs Beaver gasped and everyone turned around as the beaver began to speak, "I don't think you'll be needing those coats anymore."

An equally soft gasp left Cassie's lips as she turned and stumbled towards the blossoming flowers that Mrs Beaver had been staring at. She held a pink flower softly between her fingers and the Guardian's face lit up with a smile.

"I have not seen such beauty in many years." Cassie muttered before turning to the Pevensies. "It's a shame you could not have seen Narnia in its prime, beauties such as these were everywhere. You would have loved it, Lucy."

"Well Narnia isn't rid of us quite yet," Peter began unexpectedly. "I'm afraid you'll have to deal with us ungrateful humans for a while longer yet."

Cassie froze and it took a few seconds for Peter's words to register in her mind, but when they did her smile grew impossibly wide.

"Does this mean- are you staying?" She asked excitedly.

"Maybe." Susan quickly cut in.

Cassie rushed forward and crushed the Pevensies in a quick hug before stepping back, "I'll take maybe over a no any day."

Then the Guardian turned and began to walk away, leaving Peter and Susan frozen in confusion and Lucy smiling. Cassie walked a few more steps before turning back to them.

"Well?" She said expectantly. "Aslan's not going to wait forever, are you coming or not? We're nearly there!"

The Beavers began to hurry after Cassie and Lucy laughed, breaking her siblings out of their confusion. Lucy began her attempt at catching up with the Guardian and Peter turned to Susan with a smile before they too set off in the direction of Aslan's camp.


	13. Chapter 12 - Family Portrait

The mood was light as Cassie, the Pevensies, and the Beavers walked closer and closer to Aslan's camp. However, the air of happiness quickly fell as Cassie froze and the colour drained out of her face. In a burst of speed, she was desperately rummaging in one of the pouches in her belt as the Pevensies looked on in concern.

"Cassie?" Peter asked.

"No, no, no." Was the only reply he got as her fingers urgently reached further into her pouch.

A second later she triumphantly removed a solitary piece of crumpled (and slightly damp) paper. The Guardian sighed in relief when she opened it to discover that the attempted waterproofing that she had done on her pouch had ultimately saved the precious drawing of water damage. Curious, Lucy stepped forwards to investigate.

"Sorry about that. No need to panic." Cassie apologized.

"What's that?" Lucy asked and Cassie paused with indecision before smiling at the young girl.

"We'll rest here for a second before we continue to the camp." Cassie announced before collapsing into a cross legged position on the thankfully dry ground which was almost devoid of snow.

She tapped the ground next to her, gesturing for Lucy to sit, which the young girl hurriedly did. Once Lucy had settled, Cassie unfolded the piece of paper once more and smiled as she looked back to see that Susan and Peter had also come to see what was going on. The Guardian offered the piece of paper to Lucy, which she took, handling it with the utmost care, seemingly worried that it would be ruined with the slightest touch. The youngest Pevensies smiled when she saw the picture in its entirety, running her fingers over the beautifully drawn faces, just as Cassie had. It was a family portrait, painstakingly done, with two small girls crouching down in the front, both pulling the same silly face with their tongues poking out. Behind the girls and to the left were two older boys, the biggest of which had the other in a headlock, affectionately ruffling the younger boys hair and their faces showed identical grins that nearly split their faces. To the right were two adults, a man and a women, with the man's arm thrown over the woman's shoulder and the woman's hand resting on his hip. They looked over their children and their eyes shone with pride and love.

"This is your family, isn't it?" Lucy said softly and Cassie nodded, impressed with her deductive skills.

"Father Christmas's present to me." The Guardian explained. "Can you guess which one is me? This is a drawing done a few decades back so I only look about your age, Lucy."

Lucy placed her finger on the young girl on the right's face and Cassie shook her head with a laugh.

"Nope. That's my sister, Theresa. The one on the left's me."

"You have a twin? How can you tell which one's you?" Susan asked from her position behind Lucy, who was still enchanted by the drawing.

Susan was right, the two girl's were obviously twins. They had the same shockingly white hair that Cassie had now, though it was shorter and slightly curlier, and some striking paint had been used to show the young girls' icy blue eyes.

Cassie's smile faded slightly, "Had. I had a twin."

Susan froze in shock, "I'm sorry. I didn't-"

But the Guardian looked up with a sad smile. "It's fine. I don't know how I can tell, it's just a twin thing I guess."

"Who are these two?" Lucy asked, pointing to the two older boys.

Cassie's smile returned and she gently placed her finger on the boy in the headlock. "Well, this is Benjamin, our older brother. In human years he was probably about Peter's age back then."

Cassie removed her finger and Lucy stared at the boy. His skin was slightly darker than the twins' and he didn't look all that similar. He had brown eyes and hair, but his large smile obviously identified him as one of the Dawn family; It was definitely a quality that was shared.

Cassie moved onto the next boy, who had the same brown eyes with slightly lighter brown hair, but it was no surprise that he shared the familiar Dawn family smile. "And this is Francis, he was the oldest so he was probably a good few human years older than Peter."

"What were they like?" Lucy asked, intrigued.

"Oh I loved my siblings. Always ready for a joke and a laugh, yet utterly over protective at times." Cassie looked like she wanted to continue her description of their personalities, but the same sad smile came over her face again so Lucy quickly changed the subject.

"And these are your parents?" She said, pointing to the older couple on the right and Cassie nodded again.

It was brutally obvious who inherited who's genes as the man had familiar blue eyes, coupled with white hair and stubble on his chin. He seemed sombre, yet his eyes showed his love for his children clearly. The woman had tan skin with kind brown eyes and long brown hair, she was very beautiful and the drawing helped give her an air of serenity.

Cassie seemed to almost stroke their faces this time and if you looked closely you could see that the Guardian eyes had begun to glisten with unshed tears. "This is my father, Walter, and my mother, Florence."

Everything went quiet for a moment and Lucy gently folded the paper back up and handed it to Cassie, who attempted a small smile as she carefully placed it back in her pouch. The Guardian flinched when she felt a hand (or paw) on her shoulder and turned to see Mrs Beaver's kind face looking at her with concern. Cassie placed her hand on top of Mrs Beaver's and nodded in appreciation before she cleared her throat and stood up.

She brushed herself down before announcing, "Right, if we keep walking at a good pace we should be at camp within the hour."

Cassie quickly brushed her eyes free of the traitorous tears that threatened to fall down her face as she started walking and she soon heard the sounds of several feet, signaling that the Pevensies and the Beavers were following her.

They walked for a few more minutes in an awkward silence before Cassie made a decision and turned around.

"Peter." She said. "I need to talk to you."


	14. Chapter 13 - An Overdue Story

Cassie and Peter walked side by side, ahead of the group. Every few seconds or so Peter would quickly sneak a look at Cassie's face, trying to read her expression. He didn't have to wait long though as the Guardian chose that moment to begin speaking.

"Peter. I think, now that you have decided to stay, that there are a few things you need to know."

For some reason Peter began to become slightly nervous, but Cassie simply continued to look straight ahead as she walked, not even turning to connect eyes with the oldest Pevensie. A moment later Cassie collected herself and, realising that Peter was not going to reply, she continued.

"I wasn't comfortable with telling Lucy this, you see? I was afraid that it would scare her."

These words, unfortunately, did nothing to ease Peter's nerves.

"But now that you have taken on this responsibility, I believe it is time that you began to truly understand the brutality of the White Witch."

Cassie did turn to face Peter then, and their eyes connected briefly before Peter decided that sending a single nod of encouragement was his most appropriate response to Cassie's statement, as he awkwardly rubbed his slightly sweating palms on his trousers.

"I'm going to tell you how my family died." Cassie finished sombrely, her face a mask of determination.

Peter froze for a second and almost stumbled on the still slightly frozen ground.

"You don't have to-" He said as he began to protest, but Cassie turned and shot him a stern look.

"It would be appreciated if you would listen, as I do not want to repeat this story again." She began. "Tell me if you want me to stop, Princess."

She attempted to shoot him a small smile after she said this, and Peter returned it when he heard his new nickname, but he couldn't help but gulp and ready himself for the story he was about to hear.

"It began almost a hundred years ago. I was young, maybe about five in your human years, when the White Witch Jadis came to power. First, she killed the King and his sons, as well as eliminating most of the line of King Frank that had previously ruled Narnia. After two years of resistance, Jadis completed her conquest of Narnia and her reign began. However, it was only about ten years after that the Prophecy surfaced, though I doubt you need me to repeat it again.

"Obviously panicked, the witch began to find any way possible to avoid the prophecy being fulfilled. She already knew that the sons of Adam and daughters of Eve were not yet in Narnia, but that was not enough for her. Eventually, she came to the conclusion that without this so called Guardian, the children of the Prophecy would not have the strength to defeat her. And so it began.

"Initially, it was all kept quiet as Jadis attempted to avoid the realisation that her downfall was imminent. She went about her business and we were left in peace, none the wiser, for at least twenty years. Then, the Witch finally began the search to find the elusive 'Dawn' family that the prophecy spoke of. Our family. The search was done in secret for a long time until suddenly the population found out about the Prophecy as well and the word spread like wild fire. Apparently though, the word wasn't spread quickly enough, as by the time we found out it was already too late.

"The witch knew that this so called Guardian would be a female due to the pronouns used in the Prophecy, but that was all she knew. It didn't stop her though and she vowed to kill every last member of the Dawn family if she needed to.

"Our parents went first. They found us in our home and my father offered himself as a distraction in order for the rest of our family to escape. Eventually we did manage to get out of our home, but it was not without great loss. My father had been killed and my mother was gravely injured. We were now on the run. We lived in the forests and on the streets, worried that if we accepted shelter from our fellow Narnians then they would be severely punished. Three days after the escape from our home, my mother died. The wound she had received escaping had become infected and we had no way to help her. Theresa and I were only Lucy's age and my oldest brother, Francis, was not even eighteen in human years. However, he had to take responsibility for us, much like you do for your family, as my other brother, Benjamin, was also only around your age. He was the person we relied on to keep us safe.

"He tried, I know that, but four children were no match against the White Witch. We lasted many years though, but soon everything began to fall apart. We weren't getting much food or sleep, well we weren't getting much of anything to be honest. Theresa and I were the only remaining female members of the Dawn family, so it was obvious that one of us was the Guardian, but we did not know which. It was a large amount of pressure and responsibility that we did not know how to handle. However, for the years that we were on the run, we attempted to train ourselves the best we could and we gain knowledge and experience in fighting, weaponry, and many other things. The stress was too much though, and Ben and Francis constantly argued. Our family was falling apart and it was only getting worse. That was when the Witch found us.

"Obviously, my sister and I were the targets, but with a sick sense of Déjà vu it was Francis who attempted to save us. He hid me, Theresa, and Ben up a tree and attempted to lead the Witch and her forces away. Nothing was ever that simple though and we were helplessly stuck in a tree and we watched our eldest brother being beaten for information on the ground below us. It became too much for Ben and despite our efforts he leapt down from the tree in an attempt to help our brother. He was quickly overwhelmed and we sat, shaking in a tree as we watched our brothers being carted away. Not executed, merely captured, but it was not until the next day that we knew why.

"Our confidence was obviously shattered and that night we slept in each other's arms, perched high in the branches of our tree. The next morning a public announcement was made and the Witch came forwards ti talk to the crowd of Narnians that had been gathered. Behind her lay a single body, it was Ben. Jadis stood in front of the people of Narnia and made a speech. Her voice boomed across the land as she spoke of how the eldest Dawn brother, Francis, had been executed as an example to the people of what happened to those who tried to hide the Dawn sisters. She proceeded to drag a thankfully alive, but obviously weak, Benjamin to the front and offered a deal. If the Dawn sisters surrendered themselves to the witch she said that Ben would be released and promised that none of them would be harmed; only kept in her custody until she deemed the threat of the Prophecy non-existent. However, I was mistrusting and sure of the Witch's treachery. My sister though, was not.

"We argued. Something I will regret for the rest of my life. We screamed and yelled as she called me 'selfish' and a 'coward' for not wanting to risk our lives for the ensured safety of our last surviving brother. She was right of course, I was selfish and scared, not willing to accept the risk, but I yelled back of course. I told her that the Witch was lying but she would not listen, the very last words I said to her were "I hate you."

"I woke up the next morning to find her gone. The morning after that, the Witch made another announcement. When Jadis had finished, two bodies lay behind her, though neither of them were moving. I stood hidden at the back of the crowd and stared into the eyes of my twin, my other half, and her once icy blue orbs were now cold and dead. Seventy years into Jadis's reign she successfully orphaned me. At the mere age of twelve human years, I was alone."

Peter stood, frozen. He was sure even a tear of his own had slipped down his cheek. The others were catching up now and Peter could only choke out two words.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Cassie said. "Your decision to stay is the best thing that has happened to me in a long time. With your help I will finally avenge my family."

Lucy, Susan, and the Beavers caught up with them and came to a stop. Susan turned to Peter with concern.

"Pete? Are you ok?" She asked and the older boy shook himself slightly and nodded.

Cassie cleared her throat and turned around.

"Welcome," She said. "to Aslan's camp."


	15. Chapter 14 - Aslan's Camp

Cassie smiled as she took in the familiar scene of Aslan's camp. There were at least a hundred tents in yellow, red and gold, and even more Narnians milling around them. There were hundreds of centaurs, dryads and fauns all over the place and Cassie revelled in the looks of shock and awe on the Pevensies faces. The Guardian had been in and out of the camp a lot recently and thanks to the prophecy she was a renowned warrior, greatly respected throughout Narnia, and occasionally general of Aslan's army when her duties set by the prophecy did not require her.

As the Pevensies neared the camp, Cassie took the opportunity to build on her friendship with the oldest Pevensie girl. The Beavers were at the front and Cassie tapped Susan on the shoulder quickly. The girl turned around and Cassie attempted a smile.

"Susan," She began, slowing her pace so that the others were slightly ahead. "I know that we may have differing objectives, so I don't think we have gotten off to the best start. I just wanted you to know that your family is my top priority; it has not been easy for you to make the decision to stay so I will make sure that you do not regret it. I will keep your family safe, I promise."

For a second Susan was quiet, but then she laid a single hand on Cassie shoulder with a welcoming smile. "We should catch up with the others."

Cassie beamed back and the two girls sped up, no longer surrounded by an aura of awkwardness, until they caught up with everyone else.

A centaur loudly blew a horn, signalling their arrival and Cassie smiled as Lucy stopped to wave at a dryad. As they got further into camp, several Narnians spotted Cassie and stood up straight, saluting her firmly, to which she gave a nod. She turned to see the Pevensies looking at her and blushed slightly, rubbing the back of her neck. Creatures smiled left and right at the arrival of the Pevensies and they smiled back, still trying to get used to the attention.

"Why are they all staring at us?" Susan mumbled, as they soon had a parade of Narnians following them.

"Maybe they think you look funny." Lucy laughed as they continued to walk.

Soon, they came to a stop in front of a large tent with a centaur stood outside. The centaur, Oreius, bowed his head when he spotted Cassie and she smiled at him.

"It has been a while, my friend." The Guardian said. "I expect you are enjoying being general in my absence?"

The centaur raised his head, "I am afraid you are far better at it than I, Guardian."

Lucy turned to her in surprise, "You're a general?"

"Only when the children of the prophecy don't need babysitting." Cassie winked back, before Peter drew his sword and held it awkwardly in front of him.

"We have come to see Aslan." He said and the Narnians that were gathered behind them talked excitedly between themselves before the entrance to the large tent began to open.

The Pevensies were confused as the Narnians (including Cassie) all fell to their knees and a giant paw could be seen from the tent. They stood in awe, their mouths open slightly in astonishment as a large lion stepped out and they hesitated before following suit and kneeling.

"Welcome, Peter, son of Adam." Aslan began, his deep voice resonating around the camp. "Welcome, Susan and Lucy, daughters of Eve. Welcome, Cassandra, Guardian of the prophecy. And welcome Beavers. But where is the fourth?"

The Pevensies and Cassie stood up before Peter spoke, "That's why we're here, sir. We need your help."

"We had a little trouble along the way." Susan said.

"Our brother has been captured by the White Witch."

Murmurs passed through the Narnian ranks quickly and Aslan spoke, "Captured? How could this happen?"

Peter and Susan went quiet and Mr Beaver explained, "He... betrayed them, your majesty."

"Then he has betrayed us all." Oreius growled.

"Peace, Oreius." Commanded Aslan. "I'm sure there's an explain."

Cassie, who had previously been quietly looking at the ground, quickly spoke, guilt weighing heavily on her. "It's my fault, Aslan. He left the group but I made the decision not to go after him, I never knew that he would..."

"It's my fault really, not Ca- the Guardian's." Peter said sadly when the Guardian could not finish her sentence. "I was too hard on him"

Susan placed a comforting hand on her brother's shoulder. "We all were."

"Sir, he's our brother." Lucy said.

"I know, young one, but that only makes the betrayal all the worse. This may be harder than you think."

"Aslan." Cassie spoke again, her voice loud and authoritative. "As it has been foretold in the prophecy, the life of this boy is mine to protect, and as the general of your army I take full responsibility. I offer my services and hope I have your blessing to proceed with and lead the rescue party at the nearest opportunity."

Aslan nodded to the Guardian, "In time, my child. But first we must show you to your tents, you must be tired from your journey."

The crowd of Narnians began to disperse and Cassie felt a presence behind her. She turned to see a dryad beckoning her and the Guardian turned back to Aslan.

"Are we dismissed, sir?"

Aslan nodded and Cassie spoke to the Pevensies, "This way, let's get you some tents."

It was difficult to keep up with the dryad as she weaved easily through the crowds until she paused in front of some tents.

"The yellow one is for the daughters of Eve, the red one is for the son of Adam, and the gold one is for you, Guardian." Came the whispering voice of the dryad, and Cassie smiled thankfully.

"Lucy, Susan." Cassie called. "This one's yours and Peter, that one's yours." She said as she pointed the Pevensies to their tents.

Once they had all gone in, Cassie proceeded to go into her own and looked around at the lavishly designed interior before promptly collapsing on the bed with a large sigh. It did not take long for the Guardian to give in to the darkness surrounding her as she fell asleep on top of the covers without even taking her boots off.


	16. Chapter 15 - Hilltop Talks

"Psst. Pssst! Cassie!" Came an irritating voice from reasonably close to Cassie's ear.

The girl in question groaned dramatically and forced her eyes open. What was meant to be a short nap had obviously become significantly longer and the Guardian looked down at herself in confusion, as someone had taken her boots off and placed them by the door and she now had a blanket over her that was definitely not there before.

"Cassie!" Came the same irritating voice and Cassie lifted her head to see the smiling face of Lucy Pevensie.

"What?" She groaned.

"Susan and me are going down to a river to wash some things, do you want to come with us?"

Cassie blinked a few times in an attempt to clear her tired mind before nodding. Out of reflex she was usually an extremely light sleeper, who would awake at the slightest noise, but obviously the days of sleepless nights watching over the Pevensies had taken its toll on her.

A few minutes later, Lucy, Susan, and Cassie were heading down towards the lake when a question came into the Guardian's mind.

"Lucy." She said and young girl looked up at her.

"Yes?"

"Did anyone come into my tent before you?"

"Maybe. I mean Peter wanted to talk to you but you were already asleep."

Cassie paused for a second, confused by the idea that Peter may be the one that covered her with the blanket beofre she shook herself and continued walking.

Soon, they reached the river and the Guardian smiled at the beauty of it all. She collapsed onto the floor and leant up against a large rock before pulling her small dagger from her belt and moving it slowly up and down as it reflected the rays of the sun. Further away from Cassie's rock, Susan and Lucy had strung up a piece of string to hang the laundry on and the Narnians that had tasked them with the job had given them some wooden pegs that they had carved.

It wasn't until a short time later that Cassie looked up to see Peter and Aslan stood together on the top of a hill, slightly further away from them. The Guardian felt an overwhelming urge to go to the pair, feeling guilty to have dumped her story on the oldest Pevensie. She would hate to have made the situation worse and the last thing she wanted was for Peter to be scared of the White Witch, despite her obvious power. Cassie stood up and sheathed her dagger before turning to the giggling Pevensie girls who were just finishing putting the laundry on the line.

"If you two don't mind, there is something I must speak to your brother about." Cassie said and Lucy turned and nodded with a smile. "If anything happens, don't hesitate to shout for me. And Susan, remember your horn, and Lucy-"

"Yes, _mother_." Lucy mocked with a giggle, cutting off the Guardian's ramblings.

Cassie smiled sheepishly, then turned and began to walk towards the bottom of the hill where Aslan and Peter were talking. It didn't take long for her to reach them, and she hung back slightly as she heard Aslan talking to the boy.

"Peter, I will do what I can to save your brother and rest assured that the Guardian will not stop until he is safe. But I need you to consider what I ask of you." The large lion then turned and stared right at Cassie, obviously having heard her approach. "I too want my family to be safe."

Cassie immediately stood up straighter and bowed her head to Aslan as Peter also turned around. "I am sorry to have interrupted you, sir. But may I speak to Peter?"

Peter seemed confused but Aslan merely nodded and walked past Cassie until he was slightly further down the hill. The Guardian smiled appreciatively to him and then proceeded to walk forwards until she was stood next to Peter.

Neither of them spoke for a second until Cassie turned to face the boy, "Peter, I'm afraid you did not get the chance to hear the end of my story."

It may have been Cassie's imagination but his face seemed to go slightly whiter, and the Guardian was again hit by a wave of guilt.

"Do not worry, son of Adam, this part of the story has a significantly happier ending." Cassie assured and Peter hesitated before nodding.

Cassie turned so she was staring over Aslan's camp and watched the Narnians mill around for a second before she took a deep breath and launched into her story.

"It was thirty years ago when the last of my siblings were killed. I was young, afraid, alone. I did not see a way to go on and the thought crossed my mind many a time to turn myself in to the White Witch, with the hopes that maybe my death would be swift and I would be reunited with the ones that I had lost. For some reason, however, fate seemed to smile upon me and the great lion himself found me.

"Of course, he knew immediately who I was and the news of the death of the Dawn family had quickly spread throughout Narnia. You see, long ago, my bloodline was that of the lions, shape shifters were what were, but throughout the centuries the gene became weaker and weaker until we couldn't change our skin at all and were left with these bodies. However, we were blessed with long life, and we can live ten years of our life to every one of your earth years. Our people can live to a thousand years old and were wise and knowledgeable. I, however, was not.

"I had obviously heard of the prophecy, but never realised the importance of my role in it. When Aslan found me, he explained this, and took it upon himself to care for me. He made sure I would be ready for the time when you would return to Narnia, and often told me stories of the great things that we could accomplish when the daughters of Eve and the sons of Adam would finally arrive. He trained me both physically and mentally and it soon became clear that I was a born warrior. My battle skills soon became renowned throughout the land and as the news of the rising power of the Guardian spread, the Witch grew restless.

"However, it was only a mere five years ago when I met the Beavers. They took me in, you see, treated me as one of their own and I soon grew to treat them as I had the family that I had lost. There was never a day that passed that I did not think of the joy you would bring when the children of the Prophecy finally arrived in Narnia, I may have lost my family but over those years I gained a great many things. Aslan gave me strength, the Beavers gave me a home, and you and your family, Peter, they gave me hope. So you see, Peter, not all dark stories have a sad ending, remember that."

Peter was speechless for a second before Cassie turned to him again and he opened his mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by a sound that chilled them both to the bone. A horn.

Whatever Peter was going to say died in his throat and he could only make out one word, "Susan!"

The Guardian swore and with a flourish she pulled her sword from her sheath.

"Damn, I _need_ to get better at my job!" She yelled before she began to sprint down the hill with Peter hot on her tail.


End file.
